Tea Leaf Green

New Releases:

Tea Leaf Green - Radio Tragedy! CD - More than a year in the making, Radio Tragedy! is a declaration of triumph and redemption in the face of adversity. After confronting hard times in recent years and adding new bass player Reed Mathis and 2nd drummer Cochrane McMillan, Tea Leaf Green was at a crossroads and in search of their identity. What emerged are 11 tracks showcasing the band's instrumental prowess and exceptional songwriting. With the release of Radio Tragedy!, Tea Leaf Green deliver their finest collaboration to date.

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Heritage CD - Armed with banjos, fiddles, guitars, jugs, kazoos, spoons and various other percussive "instruments," in this album, the Carolina Chocolate Drops revisit the jug-band and Black string-band music of the '20s and '30s with the zest of the most energetic hip-hoppers and the acumen of old-time music pioneers. Although they remain faithful to the tradition, they have an atypical way of articulating their own artistic feelings.

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator CD - Recorded in Derek and Susan's own Swamp Raga Studios in Jacksonville, co-produced by Derek with producer/engineer Jim Scott (Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco), Revelator is a confident yet unforced triumph offering a cohesive vision: an idyllic, musical world in which the echoes of so many great traditions -- Delta blues and Memphis soul, Sixties rock and Seventies funk -- flow together naturally, blending with an entirely original, modern sensibility.

"This album is an evolution of what we've all been doing before," says Trucks. "With this album, everything's been thought out a little deeper, figuring out the music and what the tunes mean--more time given to the whole process."

"These songs are all life-adventure stuff," adds Tedeschi, who co-wrote most of the album with her husband. "Whether soul-searching or love-searching, looking for shelter, or hope, or just a break...Revelator is about storytelling through songs--songs with nice musical structures, with beginnings, middles and ends, a lot of content that people can really dig into."

Coming Soon:

Ziggy Marley - Wild & Free CD - The overall theme of the album is a powerful one, as it propels Marley to challenge social injustice along with the political weapons of ignorance and fear. Wild and Free (Tuff Gong Worldwide), his fourth solo album, may be Ziggy's most political and personal to date. Wild and Free was produced with friend and collaborator Don Was at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, CA as well as Marley's own studio.

Blast From the Past:

Bomb Squad - Sophistafunk CD - The Bomb Squad, interestingly enough, was formed on the stage at NYC's Irving Plaza in March 2001. Ian McHugh (lead guitar), was offered the opening spot through a friend of his that was in the headlining band. "I accepted the gig but wasn't sure who I was going to play with, I knew the venue would be packed, so I had to act quickly because the gig was the following night." McHugh recruited star vocalist Jen Durkin (former Deep Banana Blackout, and Bernie Worrell vocalist) to sing, and nailed down the rhythm section and horn players from his own band EMCQ. "Over the phone we hashed out a set list featuring some EMCQ originals, and a couple funk classics from James Brown and Tower of Power." The gig went over amazingly in front of the sell out crowd and the Bomb Squad was born.

The band later went on to win the prestegious New Music Award at the 2003 American Music Awards. Given the nod by Dick Clark, the band received the honors and performed directly after Metallica on national TV at the awards in 2003. Jen Durkin still performs with Deep Banana Blackout and the Rhythm Devils - catch them if you can!

This CD marked down to $9.99 for a limited time. Get one and get funky!

Last Week:

My Morning Jacket - Circuital CD - "The new record, Circuital, is named after the title song," explains Jim James, of My Morning Jacket's sixth studio album. "On that song I sing about ending up in the same place where you started out. And that makes a lot of sense for this album... I hate the phrase 'going back to our roots', but for this record we came home and made it in Kentucky. And it just felt a lot like it did when we were first starting out..."

Circuital was recorded in Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN, and was co-produced by frontman Jim James and Tucker Martine (R.E.M., Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists). The result is yet another reinvention of their sound that both forges new ground and maintains the distinct spirit of MMJ s previous work.

The Manhattan Project - Atomic Bomb Party Vol. 2 CD - The Manhattan Project has been blowing up dance floors everywhere over the last year with their original sonic boomtronic sound. Their new EP 'Atomic Bomb Party vol. 2' brings the live experience into the studio and delivers 5 powerful tracks that blend House, Techno, Drum & Bass, Dub, Lounge and Trance styles into one serious dance party! Released in 2011 to rave reviews, the EP has earned The Manhattan Project respect from members of The Disco Biscuits, Future Rock, and BioDiesel, as well as DJ and live music fans alike. Sophisticated compositions and dance floor beats combine with analogue and digital sounds to produce electronic music for the masses.

Upcoming Events:

June 9-12 - Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN

June 15-18 - IfdaKamp - Kiel, WI

June 24-25 - Farm Party III - Reidsville, NC

June 30-July 3 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA

July 1-3 - Super Ball IX - Watkins Glen, NY

July 14-17 - All Good - Masontown, WV

July 21-24 Gathering Of The Vibes - Bridgeport, CT

July 21-24 Northwest String Summit Music Festival - North Plains, OR

July 28-30 The Big Up 2011 - Ghent NY

*July 28-31 Floyd Fest - Floyd VA

*Look for the Home Grown Music Booth at this event!

Video of the Week:

Thanks for reading! Treat yourself to some good music this week.
Lee Crumpton

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New Additions:

The Black Crowes - Croweology (2 CDs) - In celebration of the 20th year anniversary of their 1990 debut multi-platinum release Shake Your Money Maker, The Black Crowes will release their first ever double album of all acoustic material on August 3, 2010.

After touring in 2009, The Black Crowes spent time at the Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, recording over 20 songs from their 20 year history. The band arranged acoustic versions of many of their best loved songs and the band's catalogue picks.

The double album, Croweology, will be sold at the cost of a single album as a 'Thank You' to their fans for 20 years of support. In late summer,The Black Crowes will kick off their "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" 2010 Tour which will feature three hour performance sets in most markets.The shows are being billed as"Acoustic Hor D'oeuvres followed by an Electric Reception WithThe Black Crowes and will consist of a full hour and a half acoustic set followed by a full hour and a half electric set.

The tour will begin on August 13 in Milwaukee and is presently scheduled to conclude with the band's annual multi-night stand at the Fillmore in San Francisco on December 19,2010.

Following their 2010 "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" Tour the band has planned a lengthy hiatus.

Gov't Mule - Mulennium (3 CDs) - Recorded live at the Roxy in Atlanta, GA on December 31, 1999. Since 1994, Gov't Mule has celebrated the upcoming New Year with unique fan-pleasing concerts that showcase their wide-ranging repertoire, virtuosic musicianship and commitment to their fans. New Year's is very special not only to the fans but to the band as well.

December 31, 1999, ushered in a new century and millennium and called for something truly magical - and that nights show at Atlanta's historic Fox theater delivered it. What made the show so extraordinary? For starters, Little Milton, one of Warren Haynes' most important influences, joins Gov't Mule for six songs including 'I Can't Quit You Baby' and 'It Hurts Me Too'. Other special guests include longtime Mule friends and collaborators Audley Freed (Black Crows), Robert Kearns, Johnny Mosier, Mark Van Allen and Barry Richman. Secondly, this show contains many Mule covers played for the first time including The Black Crows 'Sometimes Salvation' and King Krimson's '21st Century Schzoid Man'.

Painstakingly remixed and remastered from the original master tapes, Mulennium sounds even fresher than ever before.

Dangermuffin - Moonscapes CD - Sit a moment with Dangermuffin's latest album, Moonscapes, and you'll hear tales of rogue lawmen, forlorn lovers, and rolling waves. Based in Folly Beach, SC, the eclectic trio casts a fresh perspective on American roots music.

Setting Dangermuffin ahead of the pack are the refreshingly magnetic lyrics of Dan Lotti, winner of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's 2005 "New Writers Showcase." Lotti's strong, articulate vocals perfectly frame each song, creating a stout foundation for the tasteful poly-groove jams and improvisational passages. "The concepts of Moonscapes comes from when the tide goes out on the beach, leaving tidal pools that look like craters," says Lotti. "To me, that seemed like the notion of the sea of tranquility."

Dangermuffin's rhythmic anchor lies in the creative beats of Steven Sandifer (Drew Emmitt Band, Adrienne Young), embellished by the thrilling, twangy guitar stylings of Mike Sivilli. The result of their pooled talents is an inventive, fresh sound that retains an organic Americana truthfulness.

Last year, the band celebrated acclaim in Relix Magazine as the winners of the April 2009 "Jam Off" competition. Their fanbase grows exponentially with each new market and show, building off a strong southeast regional presence with appearances at festival's like Colorado's Jazz Aspen, opening for Xavier Rudd and Widespread Panic.

With two strong records already under their belt and a new flagship album ready for takeoff, 2010 will prove to be groundbreaking for Dangermuffin. Give Moonscapes a spin and experience the post-roots groove -- a punchy, folk-jam pastry for the sweet-toothed soul of the south.

Tea Leaf Green - Looking West CD - "We've been waiting a long time to make this record" says Trevor Garrod, "In a band like ours we have so many songs that we play and love but never had a chance to record in the studio. It's almost as if we've loved these songs too much and were afraid to encase them forever behind the iron bars of a vacuum sealed, shrink wrapped studio album." Garrod sums up the band's change of attitude with these final thoughts, "We have come to realize that we can only truly set these beloved tunes free by putting them all down on a record. We are releasing them into the wild. We are casting them out to sea. We are 'Looking West' into the setting sun and launching them into outer space. These songs are messages in bottles washed up on foreign shores, alien transmissions from distant worlds, memories from our fading youth, and reminders of our endless and repetitious search for love and freedom."

Coming Soon:

August 10 - Budos Band III CD

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs CD

August 17 - Antibalas - Who Is This America (re-release)

Ray Lamontagne - God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise Cd

Shannon Whitworth - Water Bound CD

Last Week:

Orgone - Cali Fever CD- Orgone are back with Cali Fever, their second album for Ubiquity and a giant step from anything they have ever released in the past. This is a band in ascendancy, with more focus and purpose, and gigging like their lives depend on it.

They pull on hard-nosed, stripped-down, New Orleans influences on tracks like "The Last Fool" and "Crazy Queen." And effortlessly shift gears through more uptempo Afrobeat and Brazilian informed tracks like "Matanza" and summer anthem "It's Time Tonight." Unlike previous releases, Cali Fever features all-original compositions, and no covers. With lead singer Fanny Franklin at the helm, the band rip through soul cuts like "Give It Up" and "Overtime" with a wild West Coast flair.

"Cali Fever refers to the vibes and energy coming out of California, specifically Los Angeles," explains the band. "Coastal environments breed a certain sound, like New Orleans, Brooklyn, the Bay Area, and Miami. Los Angeles has a sound and a feeling for all of us and that's how we approached this record. It's an amalgamation of the eclectic things we've learned & heard mostly growing up in LA. We aspire to represent where we come from."

Robert Randolph - We Walk This Road CD - Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, 'We Walk This Road' continues the Sacred Steel tradition for which Robert Randolph has earned wide praise, including the New York Times, which applauds 'his rip-roaring virtuosity and his gift for making his instrument sing without a word.'

Throughout the recording of 'We Walk This Road,' Randolph and Burnett worked closely together as archivists, discovering songs-decade by decade-from the 20th century American music canon. The songs they uncovered, ranging from blues and rock to field recordings and gospel, serve as the inspiration for the 11 songs on 'We Walk This Road.' Recorded at the Village Recorders and Electro Magnetic Studio, the album includes 'If I Had My Way' (featuring Ben Harper), 'Salvation' (featuring Leon Russell), and reinterpretations of Prince's 'Walk Don't Walk,' Bob Dylan's 'Shot Of Love,' (featuring Jim Keltner, who played drums on the original version) and John Lennon's 'I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama' (featuring Doyle Bramhall II).

Of the album, Randolph says 'T Bone and I drew a lot from the past while we were making this record, but I think it really is a record for these times. I think the fact that I, as a young guy who likes hip-hop and gospel, am reaching back into this rich history of American roots music will appeal to people who are fifteen, and people who are seventy-five years old. T Bone opened my eyes to great archival music. He's a link between the past and the present.'

10ft Ganja Plant - 10 Deadly Shots Vol 1 CD - First all instrumental album by 10 Ft. Ganja Plant... 10 Deadly Shots cut from vinyl!

Its a cold weekend in February and the Cessna's land. The vibes brew as the room fills, while the bass thumps a beat and the snare drum rings a tune. The chords echo through the room as the smell of analog tape enters the air.....A familiar start to a 10 ft Ganja Plant recording session. We like to keep things fresh, create a vibe, throw around the ideas, write the track, record the track and never play it again. We record almost all of the records live, everyone in one room. The exception would be the occasional vocal, keyboard guitar horn line that was impossible to play at the same time. All of the material is captured by reel to reel 2,4,8,16,24 tracks. During this particular session we were using 8 tracks.

Hot Tuna - Live at New Orleans House CD - The little blues band-within-a-band side project of Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen outlasted the parent band, of course, and continues on to this day, but here s a priceless opportunity to hear a collection of completely unreleased performances from the duo's early days in super high fidelity (other recordings from this multi-night engagement at Berkeley's New Orleans House were actually used for the debut Hot Tuna album)! And the set list? Practically a Hot Tuna greatest hits with some nods to the Deadheads among us! 68 minutes!

Upcoming Events:

Aug 12-14 Muddy River Jam Festival - Woodstown, NJ

Aug 19-22 *Camp Barefoot - Bartow, WV

Hot August Blues - Cockeysville, MD

August 25-28 - River Jam Festival - Fort Smith, AR

Snow Ridge Jam Fest - Turin, NY

12th Annual NedFest - Nederland, CO

Blackwater Music Festival - Live Oak, FL

September 2-5 *The Getdown - Mebane, NC

Head Jamz - Adams, TN

* Look for the HGMN Booth at this event!

Video of the Week:

Tea Leaf Green - "Looking West" live on WNRN

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Lee Crumpton